Broadband Communities

NOV-DEC 2016

BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
NEW WORLD OF VIDEO
Cable Nostalgia
New technologies have the paradoxical effect of giving new life to old TV programs.
By Michael A. Kashmer / Digital Broadband Programming Consultant
C
able programmers are asked constantly how their
shows perform in the ratings. eir entire network
lineups are under the critical eye of everyone who
follows the industry. Every network has some hits and misses,
so no one should really be surprised by the range of results.
One way for programmers to boost ratings is by bringing
back oldies but goodies. TV audiences are overwhelmed by
all the video choices they have at their fingertips, so any level
of familiarity and name recognition can give a network a
healthy boost. Streaming services are providing older titles
to new audiences, and the viewer response, in many cases, is
very good. Millennials who have binge-watched old episodes
of shows from the 1970s or 1980s may be ready to watch new
episodes of the same shows.
Take a look at a program lineup from a few years ago to
see if any show had "legs" that took the program or series to
syndication and beyond. If a show made it this far, you can
catch an episode of it tonight.
ese TV shows that keep coming back or never went
away are spiffed up with new hosts, brighter sets and what
seems like louder music. ere are some prime-time game
shows that fit this description.
THE WAY WE WERE
How do viewers' nostalgia needs help fuel this trend? Political
tumult in the United States may inspire viewers to fondly
remember how things used to be. ("Let's go back to the good
old days; the '70s might be far enough.") Watching a show that
brings back wistful memories of past places or periods makes
viewers feel better than zombie apocalypse series, which just
make them want to keep the front door locked. Fortunately,
network programmers are expert in all things retro.
Shows that represent viewers' youthful innocence,
complete with pop-culture trappings that still look familiar,
are fed by social media. A big part of the success of nostalgic
fare is the energy that viewers can give a remake via social
media. is may be an attempt on the part of viewers to
control what is available on TV. Viewers who promote a
program on Facebook and Twitter can feel responsible for
part of the show's success.
ese nostalgistas can whip up a powerful marketing brew
that would otherwise cost the networks millions. Several years
ago, there might have been 10–20 million viewers per episode
for a popular show. In today's fragmented media era, a rewind
of a '70s program might achieve 1–2 million viewers and still
be called a moderate success. at's because plenty of TV
viewers watch cable, streaming and DVD versions of movies,
shows, music videos, and TV commercials; participate in fan
contests, trivia clubs and reunions; and purchase collectibles.
Evergreen shows and their networks have devised
marketing strategies that harness the "feel good" vibes of the
past for those who are heavily involved in their careers.
Here are some nostalgic shows that are being reborn:
• MTV's VH1 is dead, and in August 2016, MTV Classic
took over that channel. e new channel will show
millennials what they missed by not being around from
the 1980s through the 2000s.
• Ashton Kutcher's "Punk'd" is back, as is "Jackass" and
other shows with very few people of color.
• On CBS, MacGyver, the clever secret agent, is returning
after an absence of 30 years. Will SNL create a new skit
based on the new MacGyver?
• Showtime welcomes back "Twin Peaks" after a quarter
century. We can all watch one of the stars fold his
underwear again.
• HBO's "Tales From the Crypt" episodes, with a new twist
for the character Cryptkeeper, will appear on TNT this
time around.
None of these shows are shot-by-shot remakes. Some
characters and plots need a little sandpapering to give the
programs a cleaner story line, but the shows will keep the
patina that hooked TV viewers in the first place.
As TV revisits its familiar past, you too may see something
that makes you feel inspired once more.
v
Mike Kashmer has worked in cable TV for more than 30 years in
distribution, finance and programming. His experience includes
network startups and foreign-language programming. Mike can
be reached at mikekashmer@aol.com.